MVR is a safety observation method for measuring the occupational safety of civil engineering works. MVR can be used to perform weekly statutory maintenance checks.

The MVR method was originally developed in connection with the civil engineering sector’s occupational safety competition in the 1990s. The criteria were revised in 2017. The current system was designed by a safety committee of the Infra Contractors Association in Finland. The latest version of MVR is available in Finnish and Swedish.

MVR covers

• procedures and the operation of machinery
• equipment
• protections and safeguards
• access routes, and
• orderliness and stocks.

MVR can be used instead of weekly maintenance checks

Civil engineering companies can base their weekly statutory maintenance checks on the MVR safety observation method.

The method is especially well suited to sites where at least 50 observations are typically made per inspection.

Using the method does not require permission from occupational safety and health authorities.

The workers can send their representative to accompany the assessors on their tour of the site.

Use of MVR in the context of official inspections

The MVR method can also be used to perform occupational safety and health inspections. The same assessment criteria are used for both official inspections and unofficial maintenance checks.

Some of the MVR criteria are stricter than the minimum requirements laid down by law. Occupational safety and health inspectors therefore need to think carefully whether any shortcomings that are found warrant issuing written advice. Clear non-conformances are itemised and, depending on the severity of the violations, either written advice or an improvement notice may be issued.

Inspectors divide the site into smaller areas, inspect each area for issues that may affect safety and record their findings using a standardised template on a pass/fail basis. An overall MVR index is determined for each site on the basis of the inspector’s findings and communicated to the employer (project supervisor) in a separate document appended to the inspection report.

MVR manual and templates

MVR template (PDF, in Finnish)

A printed version of the 2017 MVR manual is available from the headquarters and regional offices of the Infra Contractors Association in Finland.

The criteria and instructions are also available (in Finnish) on the website of the Infra Contractors Association in Finland.

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